This isn’t necessarily a change in policy, as the administration never put a specific deadline on denuclearization. It is, however, a change in narrative, as previously they’d suggested that it would be happening “very quickly.”

Analysts have suggested full denuclearization is likely to take years, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had said the hope was to have substantial progress done by the end of Trump’s first term in office. Other than a dubious claim by John Bolton of a one-year plan, there was never any talk of anything sooner.

Trump continues to express optimism about the progress with Kim Jong-un. The current strategy suggests that so long as negotiations are going well, and progress is being made, the US isn’t going to suddenly bail on the program because of some sense that North Korea is too slow for their taste.

President Obama got more out of Iran than President Trump got out of North Korea.
Within a few months Iran had put the great majority of its U235-enriching centrifuges out of service. It either diluted or exported to Russia all U235 enriched to 20% or higher. It began the decommissioning of a bad nuclear reactor. And all of that under intrusive control and verification.
I understand that the “taming” of North Korea will take some time and may never become as rigid as that of Iran today. Nevertheless it is glaringly obvious that Iran was far quicker and better “tamed” than North Korea once an agreement was reached.
One criticism of the Iran deal was that Iran can eventually return to the enrichment of U235 with the potential of developing a nuclear arsenal when the agreement runs out. True, but the case of North Korea is more worrisome. That regime has not only learned how make the nuclear explosive, it also knows how to make bombs that explode which the Iranians would still have to learn.

Why do you talk of “taming” North Korea, as if they were some kind of wild animal, or a horse that needs to be broken? The only reason North Korea ever developed nuclear weapons is to ward off a long threatened conventional attack by the United States and South Korea. What so worrisome about that? Why aren’t you more worried about u.s. nukes, particularly those that have been moved close to the Russian border? I am not the slightest bit worried that North Korea will launch an attack. I suspect Trump understands this.

I wonder why Dieter talks of “taming” the DPRK myself, as if they were some sort of wild animal, or a horse that needs to be broken. As you said, the only reason the DPRK ever developed nuclear weapons is to ward of a long threatened conventional attack by the US and S. Korea (before Moon Jae-in was elected President). What’s so worrisome about that? Why isn’t Dieter worried about US nukes, particularly those that have been moved close to the Russian border? I, too, am not the slightest bit worried that the DPRK will launch an attack, and suspect Trump understands this; this is why he’s given the DPRK no time limit for denuclearization,

end the sanctions against north Korea, regardless of any ‘progress’ in the talks. The south and the north are talking and I suspect that as long as China and Russia are behind the talks they will continue.

Bring home the US troops; what a bother, burden, and provocation it is for any nation to station tens of thousands of troops overseas for 7 decades! The only reason: hundreds of billions of dollars in profits for the US military-industrial complex, what an addict!

The talks will go on for years and I see no reason to torture the people of North Korea any more, end the sanctions and keep talking.

You’re right, Michael, let’s end the sanctions against the DPRK, regardless of any “progress” in the talks. The South and the North are talking and I suspect that as long as China and Russia are behind the talks, they’ll continue.
Bring home the US troops; what a bother, burden, and provocation it’s for any nation to station tens of thousands of troops overseas 7 decades! As you rightly said, the only reason: hundreds of billions of dollars in profits for the US military-industrial complex, what an addict!
The talks will certainly go on for years and see no reason to torture the people of the DPRK any more, end the sanctions and keep on talking.